Son of Byblos writer James Elazzi Sits down with lead actor Mansoor Noor to talk about their upcoming Downstairs belvoir production.
It’s so great to be working with you again on another work of mine. (The first being Omar and Dawn). What’s one fond memory you have of Omar and Dawn?
I don’t know if I’d call it fond but one experience that really stuck with me was when you and lead actor Antony took me to a real beat in the middle of the night “as research” haha – I was playing the role of a male sex worker and I remember how big a difference it made to my performance just having visited the location.
So let’s get into Son of Byblos. What drew you to the role of Adam?
Well it’s the lead am I right haha but more seriously, it’s a super meaty role and it’s always exciting bringing a character to life and discovering their narrative arc, especially one as complex as Adam.
Why do you think Son of Byblos is an important work? / Why is it important to be telling stories such as Son of Byblos?
We’ve seen a wonderful move towards inclusive storytelling, particularly on our indie stages, and I think Son of Byblos is another authentic telling of an under-represented story that hopefully makes people feel like they are a little less alone. I remember having a lot of people coming up to me after Omar and Dawn and thanking us for shedding light on their experiences. My only wish is that we could start seeing more of these stories on the mainstages as well.
Without giving too much away, what is one specific aspect of Son of Byblos that you love?
I think my favourite part of the show is the dinner scene. Not only do we get to play as a full ensemble which I absolutely love doing, in any play, but I’m a sucker for acting while eating.
I myself have found that we share a lot of similar values when it comes to telling stories; what attracts you to certain characters/roles in other work?
It’s interesting for me because when I graduated from drama school I was only being offered POC characters, but I was very clear about the type of characters I didn’t want to play and that was anything that reinforced negative stereotypes. So it’s very exciting now that I’m getting characters regardless of their ethnicity, but that still doesn’t mean I don’t want to play Middle Eastern characters either, especially if they have an important story to tell, like Adam in Son of Byblos.
What do you think makes a strong story that resonates for a long time afterwards? / Tell me a little about the stories that drive you on stage/screen and what becomes important to you?
Stories resontate with me for a number of reasons, many times it’s seeing myself and my expereinces reflected on the stage, other times it’s seeing new perspectives that enlighten me. I hope Son of Byblos can do all of those things for it’s audiences, in some way.
As a child of migrant parents myself, I am always drawn to work that speaks of a similar nature. Has there ever been a moment in Son of Byblos, where the work has overlapped with your own personal views, life or past experience?
There’s absolutely a lot of overlap for all of us in the room. Culture is a beautiful thing and it’s been really fun talking about what we all recognise from the play in our own lives. A simple example is when I flagged that there should be a plastic covering on the dining table with a resounding yes from the room, which sounds silly at first but when we think more deeply about it, it helps us understand our parents/grandparents need for preservation and cleanliness, after having come from war torn countries.
What is one piece of advice you can give a budding actor coming up in terms of the industry here in Australia?
It can be really tough breaking into such a small industry. My advice would be create your own work if you can, whether that’s shooting a short or maybe putting on a play. The more you put yourself out there, the more chances you have to show people what you have to offer.
I think you are an incredible talent and I can’t wait to see how you bring Adam to life. Thank you!
